Shelby Scarbrough '84

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A delegation of 11 family members of pioneer aviator Jimmie Mattern, including Shelby Scarbrough ’84, arrived in Oslo, Norway, on July 14 to commemorate Mattern’s historic New York to Norway flight in 1933.

Upon touching down on a rocky beach on Jomfruland, an island off of Norway’s southeast coast, Mattern had completed the longest solo flight ever flown and the first New York-to-Norway flight ever - all part of the first-ever round-the-world solo attempt.

To commemorate his life, the grandchildren of the aviator recently published his biography, “Undaunted: The Extraordinary Story of the First Aviator to Attempt A Solo Flight Around the World.” The delegation, including grandchildren, great-grandchildren and the book’s publisher, will be in Jomfruland on July 18 and at a book signing in Kragerø, Norway, on the morning of July 19. They will be hosting a reception in Oslo on the evening of July 19 before departing the following day.

On Jomfruland, the group will be hosted by Ivar Gundersen, a former leader of the Jomfruland Vel, who is very familiar with the story of Mattern’s landing, and the Løkstad and Aasvik families, who helped the pilot. Gundersen was also present when Mattern visited the landing site in 1963 on the 30th anniversary celebration of the flight. The delegation hopes to stage a public event to commemorate the landing and express their gratitude to the people of Jomfruland.

For more on Mattern’s story, see this article in the Norwegian American and this biography and book synopsis.